THE HOUND OF THE

BASKERVILLES
adapted by

David Taylor

from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic

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 SPECIAL EDITION MAY 2016
Strand
THE
MAGAZINE
BRITAIN’S LEADING MONTHLY LITERARY MAGAZINE FIRST PUBLISHED 1891
THE HOUND OF
THE BASKERVILLES
at Vienna’s English Theatre’s Schooltours
Dear Audience, dear Readers,
Welcome to yet another great classic:
world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes,
brought live to your schools/classrooms!
Watch and experience the star detective and
his good friend and colleague, Dr Watson,
solve one of his most popular cases, The
Hound of the Baskervilles.
The story, or in this case, the play, is set in
the late 19th, early 20th c. in London and
Dartmoor, Devon. Holmes’s creator, Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, heard of a local legend
and decided to turn it into complex story of
mystery and suspense, in which the master
detective gives readers insight into his vast
knowledge, his ways of logical reasoning and
deduction, and his skills of observation.
Reading classic texts or watching film versions
of classics, you will notice that the language
is somewhat different. The English language
in late Victorian and Edwardian Britain was
certainly more formal, less idiomatic than it is
now. Also, the characters are educated upper
2 middle-class people or even aristocrats,
which does show in the way they speak and
the vocabulary they use (compare, for instance,
‘Schönbrunner Deutsch’). Interesting and
entertaining, though, Sir Henry’s American
accent and idiomatic expressions!
Dr Watson’s reports to Sherlock Holmes
were letters (which took time to be delivered!),
not e-mails. No telephoning or whatsapp-ing!
And – Sherlock Holmes had no computer
or search engines to refer to; his information
came from observing and logical reasoning.
And he will keep you guessing… and wonder-
ing… and trying to figure things out… !
However, you will be pleased to discover that
the play is very entertaining, full of suspense,
and easy to understand – as Sherlock Holmes
would say:
‘Elementary, my dear students, elementary!’
So, have a jolly good time and let us know how
you liked it!
Best wishes,
Helena Hirsch 3
Note to teachers:

When pre-reading the text please bear in mind that your students don’t have to
translate/look up every new word/phrase in order to understand. To encourage
them to guess and develop reading strategies, translations/footnotes have been
kept to a minimum. During the performance, through voice, action, movement
and mime, there is no need to translate – students see, hear, feel – and
understand.

This play takes your students back in time, to the late 19th, early 20th c. The
time, social standing of the characters, and culture is very much reflected in the
language and the more formal register (perhaps sometimes beyond B1).
Explanations/translations are provided in the respective context (therefore also
in more formal German).
There is deliberately no vocabulary help for the stage directions (which would,
in fact, only be necessary if you are pre-reading the text). However, topic
vocabulary activities will be offered in the worksheet (see below).

There are some straightforward ‘quick comprehension’ questions at the end of

this booklet. For more exploitation strategies and activities please refer to the
extensive worksheet which will be available for download from
www.schooltours.at as from September 2016!

Worksheet available online

www.schooltours.at

5
4 5
 THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
adapted by David Taylor

Scene 1
Cast Enter the 4 Actors.
ACTOR 1: Sherlock Holmes… what a man!
ACTOR 2: What a character!
The play will be performed by four actors. ACTOR 3: What a personality!
ACTOR 4: What a detective!
ACTOR 1: Internationally famous!
ACTOR 1: Sherlock Holmes ACTOR 2: A literary star!
Policeman ACTOR 3: A movie star!
Mrs Barrymore – Housekeeper at Baskerville Hall ACTOR 4: A TV star!
Beryl Stapleton – Neighbour of Baskerville Hall ACTOR 1: Born in 1854… and still going strong!
ACTOR 3: Sherlock Holmes is ageless1.
ACTOR 2: Dr Watson ACTOR 2: The most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has
ever seen.
ACTOR 3: Dr Mortimer – Friend and Doctor to Sir Charles Baskerville ACTOR 4: A super sleuth2 of his time!
Village Girl ACTOR 3: And who must we thank for his fame?
Sir Henry Baskerville – Nephew and Heir to Sir Charles ACTOR 2: His good friend and colleague… Dr John Watson. It was he, after all,
Baskerville who chronicled all of Holmes’s cases.
ACTOR 4: Gentlemen, before we go on any further, I think we should separate
ACTOR 4: Hugo Baskerville fact from fiction. The fame, the mastermind of Sherlock Holmes, is
Train Guard completely down to one man3… his creator… Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Mr Barrymore – Butler at Baskerville Hall ACTOR 3: Indeed, it was he who thought up all the ingenious plots4 that Holmes
Jack Stapleton – Neighbour of Baskerville Hall had to solve.
ACTOR 2: Along with his good friend and colleague… Dr Watson.
ACTOR 1: In Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle created a truly remarkable
character.
ACTOR 4: He presented 60 cases for his famous detective to solve.
ACTOR 2: Along with his good friend and colleague … Dr Watson.
ACTOR 3: But Conan Doyle killed off Holmes after 25 cases! Why did he bring
him back?
ACTOR 4: The public loved Sherlock Holmes. They wanted more.
ACTOR 3: So…

1
zeitlos
2
(großartiger) Detektiv
3
Die Berühmtheit von Sherlock Holmes ist der alleinige Verdienst… (seines Schöpfers…)
4
6 einfallsreiche, geniale Stücke (Handlungen)
7
6 7
ACTOR 1: So… Conan Doyle heard of a legend. A legend he decided to expand
into a gruesome story of suspense and mystery1. He felt only one man could
do the case justice2… Sherlock Holmes!
ACTOR 3: And what was the case?
ACTOR 1: The case of… “The Hound of the Baskervilles”!
Dramatic music.
ACTOR 2: Ah, yes… The Hound of the Baskervilles…
Dramatic music.
ACTOR 2: I remember it well.
ACTORS 2 and 4 exit.
Scene 2
ACTOR 1 moves upstage, takes a smoking jacket off a coat stand and puts it on.
He takes a pipe out of the pocket.
ACTOR 2: It was late, on a foggy morning, at 221b Baker Street… where
Sherlock Holmes shared a flat with his good friend and colleague, Dr
Watson. The case he was about to accept started simply enough… with a
walking stick!
ACTOR 2 holds out his hand and he catches a walking stick thrown to him from
offstage.
HOLMES: Well, what do you make of it, Watson?
WATSON: (Examining the stick) I think that it was, once, a very fine stick.
However, it’s been well used… a lot of scratches at the base and the handle is
worn down3. (Pause) I would say that it belongs to a country gentleman, who
is used to walking.
HOLMES: Rightly observed, Watson. Congratulations.
WATSON: Thank you, Holmes. But where did you find it?
HOLMES: It was left on our doorstep. The owner obviously left it there by
mistake.
WATSON: Are there any clues as to who the owner could be?
HOLMES: The owner of the stick does indeed live in the country. Devon, to be
precise. Like you, Watson, he is a doctor. His name is Dr James Mortimer.
WATSON: Goodness me, Holmes, how on earth do you know all that?
HOLMES: It is my business to know what other people don’t know. In this
instance, it was elementary, dear Watson4. (Taking a card out of his pocket)
He left his calling card!
There is the sound of a doorbell.
HOLMES: Ah, that will be him now. Watson, as it is our dear housekeeper, Mrs
Hudson’s, day off… would you, please, be kind enough to open the door.
WATSON: Of course, Holmes.
WATSON gives the walking stick to HOLMES and exits.
WATSON: (Offstage) Good day.
MORTIMER: (Offstage) Good day. I’m here to see Mr Sherlock Holmes.
WATSON: (Offstage) Certainly. Please come in.
Enter WATSON and Dr MORTIMER.
WATSON: (Holding out his hand) Dr Watson.
MORTIMER: No, Dr Mortimer.
WATSON: I beg your pardon?
MORTIMER: I am Dr Mortimer… not Dr Watson!
WATSON: I am Dr Watson.
HOLMES: And I am Sherlock Holmes.
MORTIMER: (Shaking his hand) Mr Holmes, the famous detective. It is an
honour to meet you, sir.
HOLMES: (Indicating WATSON) And this is my good friend and colleague,
Dr Watson.
MORTIMER: (Shaking hands with WATSON) Of course, Dr Watson. Forgive
me, I’m a little stressed. I should have known you immediately. After all, it is
you that has made Mr Holmes famous… writing up all his extraordinary
cases in The Strand Magazine1.
WATSON: There you are, Holmes… where would you be without me?
HOLMES: Indeed! Dr Mortimer, I believe this is yours. (Handing him the
walking stick.)
MORTIMER: Thank you. I wondered where I had left it.
HOLMES: Now, what can I do for you?
MORTIMER: It’s not so much what you can do for me, Mr Holmes… but what
you can do for a friend of mine. (Dramatically) It’s a terrible business…
terrible business! Sadly, one person… a dear friend… is already dead. And
now I fear for the life of another.
HOLMES: Please, continue.
MORTIMER: Three months ago, my good friend, Sir Charles Baskerville, was
found dead. He had been out for his nightly walk. When he failed to return2,
his butler, Barrymore, went in search of him. Not far from Baskerville Hall,
at the edge of the moor that borders part of the property3, Barrymore found
Sir Charles’s dead body.
WATSON: I read about Sir Charles’s death in the newspaper. If I remember
correctly, his cause of death was a massive heart attack.

1
Eine Sage, aus der er eine schaurigen-spannende Detektivgeschichte machte.
2 1
Er war überzeugt, dass nur ein Mann diesem Fall gerecht werden konnte… Sherlock Holmes. Führende Literaturzeitschrift in Großbritannien im frühen 20. Jhd.
3 2
abgenutzt … als er nicht nach Hause kam…
4 3
Berühmter Ausspruch des Detektivs in den Filmversionen (‘ganz einfach, mein lieber Watson’) … am Rande des Moors, das an einen Teil der Liegenschaft grenzt (vgl. … that borders on…)
8 9
8 9
MORTIMER: That’s the official version, Dr Watson, but I’m convinced he died
of… (dramatically) fright!
HOLMES: Fright?
MORTIMER: (Dramatically) Fright, Mr Holmes… fright! I arrived with the
police. Sir Charles’s body was unmarked, but his face… (dramatically) his
face was contorted1… his eyes staring.
WATSON: As a doctor, you should know that look is often brought on by a
massive heart attack.
MORTIMER: Indeed, Dr Watson. However, something else confirmed my
suspicion2. As Sir Charles’s body was being taken away, I noticed something
the police didn’t… (Dramatically) Footprints!
HOLMES: But there would have been many footprints around the body.
MORTIMER: These were no ordinary footprints, Mr Holmes. These were the
footprints of a… (Dramatically) a large hound!
HOLMES: A hound?
MORTIMER: (Dramatically) A hound from hell! A terrifying monster that
haunts the moors near to Baskerville Hall. (Pause) The hound of the
Baskervilles!
Dramatic music.
HOLMES: I must warn you, Dr Mortimer, I am a scientific man. I don’t believe
in superstition.
MORTIMER: (Taking out a manuscript) Perhaps this and what I have just told
you about Sir Charles’s death might make you change your mind.
HOLMES: What is it?
MORTIMER: A manuscript, given to me by Sir Charles, some weeks before his
death. (He gives the manuscript to Holmes) I would like you to read it, Mr
Holmes. It’s not long, but it tells of a terrifying story that has been a curse to
the Baskerville family3.
WATSON: A curse?
MORTIMER: Yes, Dr Watson… a curse! (Dramatically) The curse of… the
hound of the Baskervilles!
Dramatic music.
MORTIMER: While you read the manuscript… may I please use your Water
Closet?
HOLMES: Certainly.
WATSON: It’s along the hall, on the right.
MORTIMER: Thank you. I drink too much coffee, when I’m stressed. And,
outside… what with the cold air and the damp of the fog… well…! Excuse me.
He exits.
1 2
… sein Gesichtsausdruck war starr/verzerrt (vor Angst)
2 3
… mein Verdacht wurde auch noch durch etwas anderes bestätigt … Fußspuren…
3 4
… es erzählt die unheimliche Geschichte des Fluchs, der auf der Baskerville-Familie liegt
10
10
WATSON: Well, Holmes, what do you make of it all?
HOLMES: Someone is dead… that is for sure. But Dr Mortimer has got so
carried away with this ‘hound business’ that he hasn’t told us about the
person whose life he fears for.
WATSON: And what about this curse?
HOLMES: Well, Watson… it’s story time! (He opens the manuscript and begins
to read.)
“The origins of the curse on the Baskerville family dates back to the 17th
century, when Baskerville Hall was lived in by the evil Hugo Baskerville.”
Enter Hugo Baskerville, with an evil laugh.
HOLMES: “Hugo was a cruel man. To get a lady in his life, he would have to
take her1! To that end, he set his eyes on a poor, pretty girl2 from the nearby
village.”
Music. Enter the Village Girl. What follows is a pantomime of events, played out
to the music. It should be like an old, silent film.
The girl is picking flowers. Hugo comes up to her. He bows… she smiles. He
moves closer and starts to caress her arm. She backs off. He advances and tries
to put his arm around her. She pushes him away and starts to run from him. He
catches her. She struggles, frantically. He throws her over his shoulder and exits.
Music stops.
HOLMES: “He locked the girl in a room at Baskerville Hall and had his evil way
with her3! (Pause) One night, when Hugo was drunk, the girl escaped. From
an upstairs window, he saw her running towards the moor. Full of anger, he
got on his horse and rode after her.”
Music. Again, a pantomime of the events. The girl enters. She runs from one side
of the stage to another. Enter Hugo, miming riding a horse. He chases after the
running girl. He catches up with her and strikes out at her. She falls to the
ground. Hugo mimes getting off the horse. The girl stands and starts to run.
Hugo catches her. Again, she frantically fights him off. He hits her. She falls
backwards. Music stops. Then there is the sound of the howl of a large hound.
The girl screams and points offstage. Hugo turns. There is a sound of the
hound’s growl. Hugo shrieks in terror. The girl pushes Hugo offstage. There is
the sound of the hound attacking and screams from Hugo. The girl runs away
and exits. Hugo’s screams stop and, after a moment, the attack sounds also stop.
Then there is the sound of the hound’s howl.
HOLMES: “Their bodies were discovered, the next day. The girl’s body had no
marks on it. She had, apparently, died of exhaustion4. The body of Hugo
1
Um zu einer Frau zu kommen, musste er Gewalt anwenden (sie entführen)
Und so fiel sein Blick auf ein einfaches, hübsches Mädchen aus dem nächsten Dorf.
Er sperrte sie in ein Zimmer (…) und missbrauchte sie.
Sie war offenbar aus Erschöpfung gestorben.
11
11
 Baskerville, on the other hand, was covered in blood. His throat had been Scene 3
ripped apart! On the bloody ground were the footprints of a large hound.
(Pause) So is the story of the coming of the hound1, which has haunted the WATSON: Well, I say, Holmes, I don’t know if this case needs a priest, or a
Baskervilles ever since. Many have died bloody and mysterious deaths. policeman!
(Pause) Local villagers have spoken about seeing the outline of a large beast HOLMES: What do you mean, Watson?
on the moor. (Pause) Be warned… God’s protection is no match against the WATSON: A priest for all of the supernatural goings on1… or a policeman, to
hound from hell that haunts the moor of Baskerville, during the dark hours.” make sense of the facts.
HOLMES: Well, there are very few facts at all!
HOLMES folds up the manuscript.
WATSON: Except that a man is dead.
WATSON: Well, Holmes, what do you make of it?
HOLMES: Yes… but by natural causes.
HOLMES: I can’t believe that Dr Mortimer expects me to believe that this
WATSON: And now we have the strange things that are happening to Sir Henry.
superstitious nonsense has anything to do with the death of Sir Charles!
HOLMES: Yes. Let’s hope for some facts from him… whatever they might be!
Enter Dr Mortimer.
There is the sound of a doorbell.
MORTIMER: Did you find the story interesting, Mr Holmes?
HOLMES: No doubt, that’s him. Watson… if you don’t mind…?
HOLMES: If I were a collector of fairy tales… possibly! (Handing him the
WATSON: Not at all.
manuscript) You say that Sir Charles gave you this?
WATSON exits.
MORTIMER: Yes. He was convinced the curse was true and that he was next to
WATSON: (Offstage) Good day.
meet his end by the hound.
SIR HENRY: (Offstage, with a North American accent) Hi. I’m here to see Mr
HOLMES: Dr Mortimer, when you first arrived, you talked about another person
Sherlock Holmes.
whose life you feared for. Who is this person?
WATSON: (Offstage) Certainly. Please come in.
MORTIMER: Sir Charles’s nephew and now the only known heir to Baskerville
Enter WATSON and SIR HENRY BASKERVILLE.
Hall and family fortune2… Sir Henry Baskerville.
WATSON: (Holding out his hand) Dr Watson.
HOLMES: Does he know the story of the hound and the curse?
SIR HENRY: No, I’m Sir Henry Baskerville. You might be confusing me with
MORTIMER: Yes. Although, he has been living in the U.S. and Canada since he
Dr Mortimer. Are you the butler?
was a boy, he knows all about his family’s history. Nevertheless, he is keen to
HOLMES: No. He is Dr Watson… my good friend and colleague. And I am
take up residence at Baskerville Hall3.
Sherlock Holmes.
HOLMES: Alone?
SIR HENRY: (Shaking WATSON’s hand, energetically) Sorry, Dr Watson!
MORTIMER: Yes. He is not married.
(WATSON grimaces, after the handshake) How do you do, Mr Holmes.
WATSON: And the curse doesn’t bother him?
(Shaking HOLMES’s hand, energetically) Great that you can see me at such
MORTIMER: Not at all. However, since he arrived in England, some days ago…
short notice.
strange things have been happening to him.
HOLMES: Not at all. As you are aware, Sir Henry, we know about the
HOLMES: What things?
circumstances surrounding your uncle’s death… and the story about the so-
MORTIMER: I will let him tell you. If you don’t mind, Mr Holmes, I asked him
called Baskerville curse. Now, what is worrying you?
to call by. (He takes out a pocket watch.) In fact, he will be here soon. I must
SIR HENRY: Unexplainable events, Mr Holmes! Since arriving here, in London,
go. As a detective, Mr Holmes, I’m sure what he has to tell you will interest
someone has been following me. The same figure… the same clothes… face
you greatly. But now, at least, you are more aware of the… the background of
mostly hidden by a hat. He has a black beard.
this case. And so, gentlemen I will bid you a good day. (He shakes hands
HOLMES: Have you told the police?
with HOLMES and WATSON) I will find my own way out.
SIR HENRY: No. Only Dr Mortimer. He told me about you, Mr Holmes. And
He exits.
suggested, knowing my family background, that you, a detective, would be
the person to tell, rather than the police.
HOLMES: I see.
1
Das war die erste Erscheinung des Bluthundes …
2
… der einzige bekannte Erbe von Baskerville Hall und dem Familienvermögen…
3 1
Trotz allem möchte er sich unbedingt in Baskerville Hall niederlassen. … für alle überirdischen Vorkommnisse…
12 13
12 13
SIR HENRY: As disturbing1 as it has been to know someone is following me… WATSON: (Thoughtfully) So, I should…
today something else has happened that is very scary! HOLMES: Go and pack!
HOLMES: And what is that? WATSON: Yes. (Pause) Holmes, this is all very sudden!
SIR HENRY: Yesterday, as the weather was so bad, I left my shoes outside my HOLMES: Better go to it, then1! Oh, and Watson….
hotel room door. This morning, I discovered that one shoe is missing… WATSON: Yes.
and… this letter (He takes out a piece of paper) was at the hotel reception for HOLMES: Make sure you pack your gun!
me. It reads… (Reading) “If you value your life and your reason2 keep away WATSON: So, you think that this case could be dangerous?
from the moor”. (He passes the letter to HOLMES.) HOLMES: Could be, Watson… could be!
HOLMES: Aha… now this case is getting interesting! (Reading) “If you value WATSON: (Uncertainly) Ah!
your life… keep off the moor”… a warning, or a threat? Whatever… this HOLMES: The game’s afoot2, Watson. We are on the hunt… either for a would-
definitely merits looking into3. Sir Henry, when did you plan to depart for be murderer, or… the hound of the Baskervilles! Cue music3.
Baskerville Hall? Dramatic music.
SIR HENRY: Tomorrow. Midday train to Dartmoor, in Devon. HOLMES: (Referring to the music) Thank you!
HOLMES: Not much time to get ourselves together. (Pause) Sir Henry, return Exit HOLMES.
directly to your hotel. Don’t go out again. I will send word4 about meeting
you tomorrow. I will also send a message to Dr Mortimer. (Referring to the
Scene 4
letter) May I keep this?
SIR HENRY: Of course.
WATSON: And so, the next day, the adventure began!
HOLMES: Off you go then. Do not worry… Sherlock Holmes is on your case.
He is thrown a suitcase from offstage. Sound effect of a busy Railway Station.
We will get to the bottom of this.
WATSON: I met Sir Henry at Paddington Railway Station.
SIR HENRY: (Shaking his hand, energetically) Thank you, sir. I will make it
Enter SIR HENRY, with a suitcase.
worth your while. The Baskerville fortune will make it worth your while!
SIR HENRY: (Holding out his hand) Dr Watson, hi!
HOLMES: (Thoughtfully) The fortune… yes, the fortune… there could lie the
WATSON: Good day, Sir Henry. (Again, SIR HENRY shakes his hand
root of this case5.
energetically and WATSON grimaces afterwards.) Any sign you were
SIR HENRY: Goodbye, Dr Watson. (He holds out his hand.)
followed today?
WATSON: (Giving a wave) Goodbye.
SIR HENRY: Nope. Haven’t seen the guy at all.
SIR HENRY: I’ll see myself out. So long, gentlemen.
WATSON: Perhaps he knows you are leaving London.
He exits.
SIR HENRY: That would be scary!
WATSON: So, Holmes, we will be off on this case… tomorrow?!?
Enter TRAIN GUARD.
HOLMES: No, Watson, not we… you!
GUARD: All aboard for the Dartmoor train.
WATSON: Me!
They mime getting on to the train. The TRAIN GUARD blows his whistle. The
HOLMES: Yes, you! I have some lose ends to tie up6 on another case, here in
sound effect changes to a moving train. They mime train motion.
London. I want you to go with Sir Henry. Keep your eye on him… and the
GUARD: Tickets, gentlemen. (WATSON and SIR HENRY take their tickets out
people around him. Observe… everything. And send me communications
of their pockets.) Thank you.
about your observations. I will join you as soon as I can and I will look
GUARD exits.
forward to your reports. I will also do some research into the Baskerville
WATSON: Sir Henry, who, definitely, knew that you were in England now?
family history.
SIR HENRY: Dr Mortimer, Mr and Mrs Barrymore, who are the butler and
housekeeper at Baskerville Hall.
1
beunruhigend, Besorgnis erregend WATSON: Anyone else?
2
Wenn Ihnen Ihr Leben und Ihr (gesunder) Verstand etwas wert sind…
3
… das sollte man sich definitiv genauer ansehen… (das verdient es, genauer angesehen zu werden)
4 1
Ich lasse Sie noch wissen… Na, dann mal los…
5
… das könnte die Basis (die Wurzel) dieses Falles sein 2
Das Spiel ist im Gange (der Fall ist im Rollen)
6 3
Ich muss noch einige Dinge (für einen anderen Fall, hier in London) erledigen Das ist das Signal für die Musik (hier tritt Holmes aus seiner Rolle und gibt Regieanweisungen)
14 15
14 15
SIR HENRY: Mr and Miss Stapleton, brother and sister. They live in the small
neighbouring house. They were good friends of Sir Charles.
WATSON: The Barrymores… have they been at Baskerville Hall long?
SIR HENRY: Oh, yes. They have been there for years. Sir Charles left them a
good amount of money in his will. They practically own the place… they’ve
lived in it and looked after it for so long!
WATSON: (Thoughtfully) I see.
Enter TRAIN GUARD. The train sound effect fades.
GUARD: Dartmoor Station… Dartmoor Station. All off, please… all off.
The TRAIN GUARD blows his whistle and exits.WATSON and SIR HENRY mime
getting off the train.
SIR HENRY: Well, Dr Watson, here we are.
WATSON: I’ve not been here before. What desolate countryside!
SIR HENRY: Oh, I’m used to wild, open spaces. They stimulate me!
WATSON: What now?
SIR HENRY: Barrymore is meeting us.
Enter BARRYMORE, a sinister-looking man, with a black beard.
BARRYMORE: Good afternoon, gentlemen.
SIR HENRY: Hey! You must be Barrymore, the butler.
BARRYMORE: I am Barrymore, the butler.
SIR HENRY: (Taking BARRYMORE’s hand and shaking it energetically.) This
is my friend, Dr Watson.
BARRYMORE: (Shaking WATSON’s hand) I am Barrymore, the butler.
WATSON: How do you do.
BARRYMORE: Welcome to Dartmoor. The carriage is just here, gentlemen.
They mime getting into the carriage. BARRYMORE is the driver. He mimes
holding a horse’s reins.
BARRYMORE: Whoa there! Move along! (He mimes slapping the reins and
neighs like a horse1.)
Sound effect of a carriage moving. All mime the motion of a carriage.
BARRYMORE: Baskerville Hall is prepared for your arrival, Sir Henry.
SIR HENRY: Excellent! I’m really excited to see it.
BARRYMORE: Is this your first time to Dartmoor, Dr Watson?
WATSON: Yes.
BARRYMORE: It has a stark beauty2, Dr Watson… dramatic, mysterious.
(Dramatically) Things… happen… on the moor! They can be exciting… and
they can be dangerous. You never know, from one day to the next.
A whistle blows. Enter a POLICEMAN holding his hand up. The sound effect
stops. BARRYMORE mimes pulling up the reins. All stop the carriage motion.
1 4
wiehern
2 5
Eine karge, düstere Schönheit… (dramatisch und geheimnisvoll)
16
16
POLICEMAN: Good afternoon, gentlemen. May I ask where you are headed1?
SIR HENRY: I am Sir Henry Baskerville. We are on our way to Baskerville
Hall. This is my friend, Dr Watson.
BARRYMORE: I am Barrymore, the butler.
SIR HENRY: Is there a problem, officer?
POLICEMAN: Yes. A prisoner escaped from Princetown Prison. He headed for
the moor. The man is Selden, the Notting Hill murderer!
WATSON: I know about him. He’s supposed to be insane2.
POLICEMAN: Insane and dangerous! Be warned… and be on the lookout,
gentlemen. (To BARRYMORE) I suggest you drive fast, Mr… what did you
say your name was?
BARRYMORE: I am Barrymore, the butler.
POLICEMAN: Well, Mr Barrymore, you’d better get these gentlemen to
Baskerville Hall as quick as you can. It will be getting dark soon.
SIR HENRY: Thank you, officer.
The POLICEMAN exits.
BARRYMORE: Let’s get a move on! Hold tight, gentlemen! (He mimes
slapping horse reins and neighs like a horse.)
Sound effect of a carriage moving quickly. All mime a more bumpy motion, with
occasional tossing movements, from side to side. BARRYMORE then mimes
pulling up the reins. Sound effect stops. All stop the motion movements, with a
jerk.
BARRYMORE: Welcome to Baskerville Hall.
They mime getting off the carriage.
SIR HENRY: Thank you, Barrymore. (Looking around) Well, this is one helluva
place3! What do you think, Dr Watson?
WATSON: Well, it’s big… and it’s old.
SIR HENRY: And it’s mine!
BARRYMORE: It’s getting dark, gentlemen. Shall we go inside? (Dramatically)
It’s not good to be outside when darkness descends on the moor4. Who knows
what lurks in its shadows5!
There is the sound of the howl of a hound.
WATSON: What was that?
SIR HENRY: That sounded like… like the howl of a hound.
BARRYMORE: (Dramatically) Yes… the hound of the Baskervilles!
Dramatic music. BARRYMORE picks up the cases and exits.
WATSON: What do you think of this hound story and the curse?
1
Darf ich fragen, wo Sie hin wollen?
2
Es heißt, er ist nicht ganz normal (geisteskrank)
3
Das ist ja irre! (ganz schön beindruckend)
Es ist nicht ratsam, draußen zu sein, wenn sich die Nacht übers Moor senkt.
Wer weiß, was da alles in der Finsternis wartet.
17
17
SIR HENRY: Just coincidences. Look, Dr Watson, I wouldn’t be here if I
believed all that ‘mumbo jumbo’1! My concerns are my shoe, the note
and being followed.
WATSON: Apropos being followed… you mentioned that the person had a
black beard?
SIR HENRY: Yes.
WATSON: Barrymore has a black beard!
SIR HENRY: Ah, come on, Dr Watson, you don’t think that he…?
WATSON: “Rule out nothing, until you are positive of something”2… Holmes
would say.
SIR HENRY: (Unsure) Yeah, well… It’s getting chilly. Shall we go inside?
They exit. After a pause, enter BARRYMORE.
BARRYMORE: (Calling offstage) My dear… they’re here.
Enter MRS BARRYMORE.
MRS BARRYMORE: Everything’s ready, my pet.
Enter SIR HENRY and WATSON.
BARRYMORE: Sir Henry, this is my wife, Mrs Barrymore, the housekeeper.
MRS BARRYMORE: (Curtsying) Delighted to meet you, Sir Henry. I hope you
find everything to your satisfaction.
SIR HENRY: (Looking around, enthusiastically) Everything is just as I imagined
it. Oh, this is a friend… Dr Watson.
MRS BARRYMORE: Good evening, Dr Watson.
WATSON: Good evening.
SIR HENRY: Dr Watson will be staying for a while.
BARRYMORE: The spare bedroom is prepared, sir.
SIR HENRY: Excellent!
MRS BARRYMORE: Supper will be ready in an hour, Sir Henry.
SIR HENRY: Great! Time enough to have a look around and get settled in3.
MRS BARRYMORE: I’ll be in the kitchen, if you need me.
She exits.
BARRYMORE: Gentlemen, if you would be so kind as to follow me.
He and SIR HENRY exit.
Scene 5
WATSON: Baskerville Hall was as gloomy inside as it was outside. Old
furniture, old paintings and family portraits. (Pause) Although I was tired, I
didn’t sleep very well, at all. A deathly silence filled the old house. Suddenly,
1
Hokuspokus (abwertend, umgangsspr.)
2 1
Schließe nichts aus, bevor du es nicht sicher weißt.
3 2
Genug Zeit, sich umzusehen und (häuslich) einzurichten.
18
18
I heard a sound… the sound of someone crying. I got out of bed and quietly
opened my door… just enough to see…
Enter MRS BARRYMORE, in a dressing gown. She is crying uncontrollably. She
crosses the stage and exits.
WATSON: In the morning, I mentioned it to Barrymore.
Enter BARRYMORE.
WATSON: Your wife was upset, last night.
BARRYMORE: Upset, sir?
WATSON: Yes. I heard her… saw her… crying… in the middle of the night.
BARRYMORE: Was she, sir? I was not aware of that. Excuse me, sir, I must get
back to work.
He exits. Enter MRS BARRYMORE.
WATSON: Are you alright, Mrs. Barrymore?
MRS BARRYMORE: Perfectly alright, sir. Why shouldn’t I be?
WATSON: I heard you crying in the night.
MRS BARRYMORE: Not me, sir. Maybe it was the wind. It sometimes sounds
like cries, in the night.
WATSON: (Noticing) Your eyes are all red.
MRS BARRYMORE: (Clearly covering up) Really? Well… well, I’ve just been
outside. Maybe it’s from the cold morning air. Breakfast is ready in the
dining room. Excuse me, sir.
She exits.
WATSON: I knew she was lying! (Pause) Sir Henry had many legal papers to go
through… so, after lunch, I decided to take a walk on the moor. Past the gate
of Baskerville Hall, there it was… the moor. A wide expanse of wild, rolling
countryside, interrupted with hills, topped with stones of granite1. One can
easily get lost… so I kept to a path. I hadn’t gone very far when…
Enter JACK STAPLETON. He has a bag over his shoulder and is carrying a
butterfly net. He swings the net in the air, as if to catch butterflies.
STAPLETON: Damned difficult to catch… butterflies! You think you’ve got
one… then the bloody thing flies away. So frustrating! (Pause) Sorry…
Stapleton is the name… Jack Stapleton. I live nearby, at Merripit House.
WATSON: Good afternoon. My name is Watson… Dr Watson.
STAPLETON: Not Dr Watson… as in THE Dr Watson… good friend and
colleague to the famous Sherlock Holmes?
WATSON: (Surprised) Yes. But…
STAPLETON: (Shaking WATSON’s hand) Jolly good to meet you2, Dr Watson.
Dr Mortimer told me he was going to talk to Mr Holmes about the death of
Sir Charles.
Eine ausgebreitete, wilde, leicht hügelige Landschaft, dazwischen Anhöhen mit Granitkuppen.
Prima (veralteter Ausdruck), sehr
19
19
SEASON 2016/17 12 Sept – 22 Oct 2016
WOODY SEZ - The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie
This musical celebrates a giant of American music, Woody Guthrie, known since the 1930s and
‘40s as “America’s greatest folk poet”. WOODY SEZ is a joyous, toe-tapping, and moving mu-
sical event, transporting the audience through the fascinating, beautiful, and sometimes
tragic story of Woody Guthrie’s life with over twenty-five of his most famous songs. The
combination of the cast’s infectious enjoyment, Woody’s incredible journey, and a stirring
mix of moving ballads and energetic foot-stompers make this a must see.
7 Nov – 22 Dec 2016
TWELFTH NIGHT by William Shakespeare
Duke Orsino is deeply in love with Lady Olivia, who is in mourning for her recently deceased
brother and refuses to receive any messages from Orsino. Meanwhile, Viola is washed asho-
re following a shipwreck in which she believes her twin brother, Sebastian, has drowned.
Disguising herself as a young man under the name Cesario, she enters the service of Duke
Orsino and quickly finds her way into his favour. Orsino sends the “young man” to woo the
Countess Olivia, much against Viola’s will, for she has fallen in love with the Duke herself ….
16 Jan – 25 Feb 2017
SLEUTH by Anthony Shaffer
The ingeniously twisted plot is set in a cosy English country house owned by celebrated
mystery writer, Andrew Wyke. The writer’s home reflects his obsession with the inventions
and deceptions of fiction and his fascination with games and game-playing. He lures his
wife’s lover, Milo Tindle, to the house under the pretence of welcoming Tindle’s taking her
off his hands. Wyke makes a proposal the young, penniless lover can’t resist which sets off a
chain of audacious bluffs and double bluffs with a chilling outcome.
13 March – 22 April 2017
OUTSIDE MULLINGAR by John Patrick Shanley
Family farms, feuds and fences have separated neighbours Rosemary and Anthony since child-
hood. The two eccentric introverts straddling forty have spent their entire lives in rural Ireland.
Rosemary watches the years slip by whilst hoping for the painfully shy Anthony to notice so-
mething beyond a patch of grass. When his father threatens to disinherit him, not considering
his son the right candidate to take over the family farm, Anthony discovers that the beautiful
and tenacious Rosemary holds the key to his future. Their rocky journey to happiness is deeply
moving and funny, whilst they try to overcome the biggest obstacle – themselves.
w w w. eng l ishthe at re.at
28 April – 11 May 2017
VET‘S YOUTH ENSEMBLE presents
The Rock Musical
RENT by Jonathan Larson
The Vienna’s English Theatre Youth Ensemble was started in 2011 to serve as a practical training
ground for young actors and actors in training interested in performing in English.
The Tony Award winning rock musical, RENT, deals with a group of aspiring artists living in
New York City’s East Village in the late 1980’s; trying to survive and celebrate life under the
shadow of poverty and the AIDS epidemic. A modern version of Puccini’s opera “La Bohè-
me”, the story follows Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, and his friends, as they face the issues of
everyday life in the artistic lower class, struggling to pay the rent while searching for love
and happiness. Written by the talented young lyricist/musician Jonathan Larson, RENT was
an instant Broadway sensation; winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1996, as well as a Tony Award for
Best Musical.
12 – 14 May 2017
ENGLISH LOVERS
Best Improv in town!
Back by popular demand! Let the legendary, award-winning English Lovers amaze, amuse,
excite, dazzle, daze and delight you & romp, stomp and vamp their way into your hearts
again. They act, they sing, they dance, they mime and they rhyme – nothing is impossible for
these accomplished improvisers! No two shows the same. Every night an adventure. Secure
tickets fast to be transported into their magical world of spontaneous storytelling!
29 May – 8 July 2017
BEAU JEST by James Sherman
Chicago resident teacher Sarah Goldman is a nice Jewish girl with a problem: her parents
want her married to a nice Jewish boy. They have never met her boyfriend, the very un-Je-
wish WASP executive Chris. As the devoted daughter that she is, Sarah wants to make her
parents happy and so she invents a perfect Jewish boyfriend, “Dr. David Steinberg”. Before
long she finds herself caught in her own net. So she decides to contact an escort service to
send her a Jewish date to impersonate this fictional boyfriend during a family dinner. Ins-
tead, they send Bob Schroeder, an aspiring actor, who does indeed look the part but unfor-
tunately is as ‘goy’ as her real boyfriend. Luckily he is a good improviser and knows FIDDLER
ON THE ROOF by heart. Sarah’s parents are enraptured, and soon, so is Sarah …
VIENNA’S ENGLISH THEATRE – 1080 VIENNA, JOSEFSGASSE 12 – 01-402 12 60-0
WATSON: Ah! colleague to the famous Sherlock Holmes.
STAPLETON: Yes. Damned, awful business… Sir Charles’s death. BERYL: Dr Watson? Oh, forgive me… I thought that you were… were Sir
(Dramatically) The curse of the hound claims another Baskerville1! Henry Baskerville.
WATSON: Then you know about Dr Mortimer’s suspicions? STAPLETON: Dr Watson, this is my sister, Beryl.
STAPLETON: Oh yes. We were good friends of Sir Charles. We have lived WATSON: How do you do.
down here for 2 years. BERYL: I’m sorry, Dr Watson for what I just said. I was… confused.
WATSON: We? STAPLETON: What was that?
STAPLETON: My sister and I. (Pause) Quite right too… not to involve the BERYL: Oh… nothing!
police in the case. There is the sound of a moan, which grows into a howl.
WATSON: So, you believe that Sir Charles died of fright, at seeing the hound? WATSON: What was that?
STAPLETON: He died seeing something! STAPLETON: The local people say it is the call of the hound. (Dramatically)
WATSON: Then you believe this hound exists? He is hungry for blood!
STAPLETON: (Suddenly, pointing at seeing something.) Good Lord… look… WATSON: And what do you think it is?
there! STAPLETON: It could be many things. Sometimes, strange noises come out of
WATSON: (Startled) Where… what?!? Grimpen Mire.
STAPLETON: There! (Referring to a butterfly) That butterfly you don’t see on WATSON: Grimpen Mire?
the moor, at this time of the year. (Swings the net.) Damn… bloody thing2 got STAPLETON: Near here is the dangerous Grimpen Mire. Looks like wet
away! (Pause) What were we talking about? grassland. However, once a man, or animal, steps into it, they are slowly
WATSON: The existence of the hound. sucked into its muddy depths1.
STAPLETON: Ah, yes. The local villagers seem to think it exists. And now the BERYL: It’s a terrible death, Dr Watson! Be warned… always stick to the path.
famous Sherlock Holmes is going to investigate the legend. Is he here? STAPLETON: Beryl, we must go. Dr Watson, you and Sir Henry must visit us.
WATSON: No. He has business in London. He will come down soon. After all, we are neighbours. And Mr Holmes, too, when he gets here.
STAPLETON: Ah! (Seeing a butterfly) There it is again! Excuse me, Dr Watson WATSON: Thank you.
… I must have this one! (Talking to the butterfly) Come to me, my precious. STAPLETON: (Offering BERYL his arm) Come along, my dear. Goodbye,
I will have you! Dr Watson.
He goes after the butterfly, swinging the net and missing… cursing when he does so. BERYL: Goodbye.
STAPLETON: I’ll be back, Dr Watson… I’ll be back! WATSON: Goodbye.
He exits. Almost immediately after he’s gone off one side, enter BERYL STAPLE- They start to exit. BERYL stops.
TON from the other. She runs up to WATSON. BERYL: My handkerchief… I think I dropped my handkerchief by Dr Watson.
BERYL: (Intensely) Go back! Go back to London… immediately! Go along, Jack. I’ll catch you up.
WATSON: Why? He exits. She comes back to WATSON.
BERYL: I cannot explain. But, for God’s sake do as I say! There is danger here. BERYL: What I said before was meant for Sir Henry.
Go back and never set foot on the moor again! WATSON: Is he in danger?
WATSON: What are you saying? BERYL: You know the story of the hound?
STAPLETON: (From offstage) Blast3! WATSON: Yes.
BERYL: Don’t say a word to my brother! BERYL: I… I believe it to be true. Therefore, I fear for Sir Henry’s life. I cannot
Enter STAPLETON. say any more.
STAPLETON: Damned, bloody thing got away! (On seeing BERYL) Ah, you STAPLETON: (Calling, from offstage) Beryl.
two have bumped into each other. Beryl, this is Dr Watson, good friend and BERYL: (Calling back) I found it. Coming. (She takes out her handkerchief)
Goodbye, Dr Watson.
She exits.
1
Der Fluch hat ein weiteres Opfer (unter den Baskervilles) gefordert.
2
verdammt (das verdammte Ding)
3 1
Mist!Verdammt! Gerät ein Mensch oder Tier hinein, wird er/es langsam in die schlammigen Tiefen hinuntergezogen.
20 21
22 23
Scene 6 MRS BARRYMORE: But he’s still my brother. He’s sick, Dr Watson, he’s sick.
His sickness makes him do terrible things. He can’t help it.
WATSON: I thought it best not to tell Sir Henry about what Miss Stapleton had SIR HENRY: What the hell… he’s dangerous! He must be locked away, for the
said. I wrote to Holmes, reporting my first 24 hours’ events. The rest of the safety of others.
day was uneventful. I decided to go to bed early and have a good night’s WATSON: What is the signal for?
sleep. No such luck, I’m afraid! Just after midnight, I heard footsteps on the BARRYMORE: Mrs Barrymore has been putting out food for him1. The signal is
creaky floorboards in the hall, outside my room. to let him know when she has done so.
MRS BARRYMORE: Forgive me, Sir Henry.
Offstage, BARRYMORE makes the sound of creaky floorboards.
SIR HENRY: This is outrageous! I will report this to the police tomorrow.
WATSON: I got out of bed and peeped outside my door, to see…
MRS BARRYMORE: Please sir, don’t say anything to the police.
Enter BARRYMORE, making creaky noises as he walks. He is carrying a candle.
BARRYMORE: In a few days, he won’t be around on the moor. We have
He mimes opening a window. Then he waves the candle, from side to side. He
arranged for him to be transported, by ship, to South America.
makes a loud groan and exits, making the creaky noises.
MRS BARRYMORE: I beg of you, sir. Soon my brother will be far away and
WATSON: The next day, I told Sir Henry what I had seen.
not cause anyone any more trouble.
Enter SIR HENRY.
WATSON: Except the South Americans!
SIR HENRY: It sounds like he was signalling to someone.
SIR HENRY: We will talk further about this in the morning. Now, go to bed, the
WATSON: Exactly what I thought.
pair of you!
SIR HENRY: I will come to your room tonight and we can check this out together.
MR and MRS BARRYMORE bow to him and exit.
WATSON: And so he did. We waited, until…
SIR HENRY: Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Dr Watson. The
From offstage comes BARRYMORE’s creaking sound. Enter BARRYMORE, still
Barrymores have been so loyal to the family. This ‘incident’ is … how shall
making the sound as he walks. Again, he is carrying a candle. Again, he mimes
I put it… unfortunate. I shall sleep on it. Goodnight.
opening a window and waves the candle.
He exits.
SIR HENRY: What are you doing, Barrymore?
BARRYMORE: (Startled) Oh, I… I… was… WATSON: Sir Henry decided not to tell the police about Selden… at least, for
SIR HENRY: Yes… the time being. However, I had a lot to tell Holmes in my next correspond-
BARRYMORE: I was… was… just fixing the window! dence to him. (Pause) The day after, the Stapletons kindly invited us to lunch.
SIR HENRY: In the middle of the night! (Firmly) Tell me the truth, Barrymore. Their house was quite near to Baskerville Hall… so near that one could easily
What were you doing at that window? walk over to them.
WATSON: (Noticing something outside the window.) Look… in the dark of the
moor… a faint light is moving, from side to side1!
Scene 7
SIR HENRY: Who are you signalling to, Barrymore? Tell me at once!
BARRYMORE: I… I…
Enter STAPLETON and SIR HENRY. WATSON joins them.
Enter MRS BARRYMORE.
STAPLETON: It’s jolly good to meet another Baskerville, Sir Henry. Your uncle
MRS BARRYMORE: (Distressed) Please, sir, it’s not my husband’s fault. It’s…
was a good friend.
it’s mine.
Enter BERYL.
SIR HENRY: What are you talking about, Mrs Barrymore?
STAPLETON: Ah, Beryl… allow me to introduce you to Sir Henry Baskerville.
MRS BARRYMORE: My husband is signalling to my brother. He is living like a
And you’ve already met Dr Watson.
hunted animal on the moor!
BERYL: (Nodding at WATSON) Dr Watson. (Extending her hand to SIR
WATSON: Your brother? Is he the escaped convict2, Selden?
HENRY) Sir Henry, it is a pleasure to meet you.
MRS BARRYMORE: Yes, sir.
SIR HENRY: (Shaking her hand) The pleasure is all mine, Miss Stapleton.
WATSON: But he’s a criminal… a murderer!
BERYL: Beryl, please.
1
Ein schwacher Lichtschein bewegt sich hin und her.
2 1
Ist er der entflohene Häftling, Selden? Mrs Barrymore hat ihn mit Essen versorgt (hat ihm Essen bereitgestellt)
22 23
24 25
SIR HENRY: Beryl. Dr Watson, you didn’t tell me that our neighbour was so The figure turns and starts running.
attractive. WATSON: I decided to give chase1, this time. (Calling to the figure) Stop…
BERYL: Oh, Sir Henry! stop, I say! But the figure did not stop. I ran after it… up a hill, on the moor.
SIR HENRY: What’s a pretty girl like you doing stuck away in such desolate Up, up, to the stony top! (To the figure) Stop! (He takes out a gun) I am
countryside like this? armed and I will shoot.
STAPLETON: It’s not everybody’s cup of tea1, Sir Henry… but we like it. The figure stops.
Neither of us are the social, city types! (Firmly) Are we, Beryl? WATSON: Who are you?
BERYL: Yes… I mean… no, Jack. The figure turns, slowly and removes the hood. It’s HOLMES.
SIR HENRY: Well… Beryl… we’ll just have to make some fun of our own, out WATSON: (Surprised) Holmes!
here in the countryside. HOLMES: Forgive me, Watson.
STAPLETON: Dinner is ready. Shall we go in? Beryl… (Offering her his arm) WATSON: Has it been you all along?
SIR HENRY: (Offering BERYL his arm) Please, may I, Beryl? HOLMES: I’m afraid so… yes.
BERYL: (Uneasily, looking at STAPLETON) Thank you, Sir Henry. WATSON: But… but… I don’t understand. Why this disguise?
They exit, with STAPLETON following on behind. HOLMES: I wanted to observe for myself, for a while, some of the things you
had reported to me.
WATSON: Well, the instant attraction of Sir Henry to Beryl Stapleton was very
WATSON: But, where have you been staying?
noticeable. What was also noticeable, to me, was her brother’s disapproval.
HOLMES: In a small, uninhabited cottage2, on the edge of the moor. In the past
(Pause) Some days passed. I continued my observations and my
few days, I have seen and heard much.
correspondence with Holmes. Then, on one particular walk, on the moor, I
WATSON: But to go to such lengths3, just to remain anonymous!
spotted a hooded figure, high on a hill.
HOLMES: I had to, Watson. During my time in London, I learned some
Enter a hooded figure. The face is hidden.
extraordinary facts about this case and the characters in it. (Pause) Our
WATSON: We’d heard nothing about Selden… except that he was still on the
opponent is extremely clever!
moor. Surely, this figure was not him. Selden would try to keep out of sight. WATSON: So, you know who it is?
(Calling to the figure) I say… hello there.
HOLMES: The facts point to one person. However, there is no proof as to his
The figure sees WATSON and quickly runs away.
guilt. He plans everything carefully, until he is ready to strike4. His target is
WATSON: Strange! (Pause) I saw it again, the next day. As I made a move
Sir Henry Baskerville!
towards it, it was gone, in a flash2! Whoever this was, they certainly didn’t
Suddenly, there is the sound a loud howl, followed by the sound of a man’s
want to be discovered. (Pause) Sir Henry, on the other hand, had discovered
scream.
something… love!
WATSON: Holmes… it’s… it’s…
Enter SIR HENRY.
HOLMES: It’s the hound of the Baskervilles!
SIR HENRY: Beryl, Beryl! What a gal3! What… a… gal! (Noticing WATSON)
Dramatic music.
Hi Dr Watson! (He starts singing a romantic song.)
HOLMES: (Referring to the music) Thank you! Come along, Watson. The
WATSON: I’m going for a walk on the moor. Do you fancy coming along?
game’s afoot!
SIR HENRY: No, thank you, Dr Watson. I have some serious thinking to do
They run, downstage. WATSON points, upstage.
about Beryl – maybe later.
WATSON: (Pointing) Look, Holmes… up on that craggy overhang5!
He exits, singing.
There is another howl, followed again by a man’s scream. Then, a growling,
WATSON: Another letter to Holmes… and off I went. I had walked some
attacking sound, followed by another scream. Then, from a height, a body falls
distance on the moor, when, suddenly, I saw…
Enter the hooded figure.
WATSON: (Calling to the figure) Hello there!
1
Ich beschloss, die Verfolgung aufzunehmen…
2
In einer kleinen, unbewohnten Hütte…
3
1
Es ist nicht jedermanns Sache… Aber so einen Aufwand zu treiben… (nur um unerkannt zu bleiben)
4
2
… es war blitzartig verschwunden. … bis er bereit ist, zuzuschlagen
5
3
Mädchen (umgangsspr., veraltet, bes. US) … da oben auf dem zerklüfteten Überhang
24 25
26 27
on to the stage. There is the sound of a hound’s howl. HOLMES and WATSON
move to the body.
WATSON: (Feeling the body) He’s dead! It’s Sir Henry. I recognise the coat.
HOLMES: Then we are too late! (HOLMES bends down to the body and unwraps
a scarf that’s covering the face) Wait a moment. This is not Sir Henry!
WATSON: What are you saying, Holmes?
HOLMES: Look again, Watson. The coat, maybe, is Sir Henry’s… and I suspect
that it is. But this poor unfortunate1 is not Sir Henry. (Pause) It’s Selden, the
escaped convict!
WATSON: (Looking closer) Good Lord, Holmes!
HOLMES: (Thinking out loud) So, the coat… and the shoe… from the same
person… Sir Henry. Just what one would need to set a murderous hound to
work2.
WATSON: What do you mean, Holmes?
HOLMES: The scent, Watson… the scent. That’s all a hound needs.
WATSON: But how did Selden get the coat?
HOLMES: Stolen, I suppose…. or taken by the Barrymores. It’s cold on the
moor, at nights. Unfortunately, for Selden, my suspect had also stolen an
article of Sir Henry’s clothing… a shoe.
WATSON: The shoe… Sir Henry’s shoe! The one that was stolen from outside
his hotel door, in London.
HOLMES: Precisely, Watson! A well-trained hound can easily pick up a scent of
a person… once it knows who that scent belongs to. An article of clothing is
ideal. Also, train a hound to be a killer… and… presto… you have got the
perfect killing machine! My suspect thought that he was killing Sir Henry.
But he got the wrong man!
WATSON: So, your suspect uses the hound to kill?
HOLMES: And the story of the curse of the hound to put fear into people.
WATSON: But, who is your suspect, Holmes?
HOLMES: The puzzle is not quite complete yet, Watson. There is another piece
that I hope you and Sir Henry can help me with. Then I will reveal to you
who it is.
WATSON: What is it, Holmes? How can we help?
HOLMES: It’s getting dark, Watson. We are some distance from Baskerville
Hall… and we have to navigate our way back, across the moor… avoiding
that dangerous Grimpen Mire.
WATSON: It’s a treacherous place3, by all accounts!
HOLMES: Yes. I heard that it swallowed up a horse, recently. The poor beast
screamed… until it finally disappeared into its muddy depths!
1 1
… dieser arme Teufel (dieser Unglückliche)
2 2
Genau was man braucht, um einen mörderischen Bluthund (auf die Person) zu hetzen.
3 3
Ein gefährlicher Ort, nach allem, was man hört!
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28
WATSON: What about Selden’s body?
HOLMES: (Pointing offstage) It’s best to conceal it, over there, by that
distinctive rock formation. It will be easier for the police to find.
HOLMES exits, dragging the body offstage.
Scene 8
WATSON: We made it safely back to Baskerville Hall. Mrs Barrymore was
extremely upset by the news of her brother’s death.
From offstage, comes the sound of a loud cry from Mrs BARRYMORE.
WATSON: Holmes then told Sir Henry all he had told me.
Enter SIR HENRY and HOLMES.
SIR HENRY: That is one helluva story, Mr Holmes! But who is this guy… and
why do you think he is responsible for my uncle’s death… and why does he
want to kill me?
HOLMES: I desperately need to see something, Sir Henry. A second opinion
from you, Watson, would give me the vital clue I require1.
SIR HENRY: What is it? What do you need to see?
HOLMES: Watson, in your description of Baskerville Hall, you mentioned a
room with portraits of Sir Henry’s ancestors2.
SIR HENRY: Yes, there is such a room. I’ve only passed through it… not taking
much notice of the portraits.
HOLMES: I would very much like to see it.
SIR HENRY: Then follow me.
Exit SIR HENRY and HOLMES.
WATSON: If Sherlock Holmes had a fault… it would be the frustrating way he
would keep one in suspense about his thoughts3, until he knew something…
definitely!
Enter, from one side of the stage, HUGO BASKERVILLE, holding up a frame, to
make himself look like a portrait. Then enter SIR HENRY (carrying a candle)
and HOLMES.
SIR HENRY: Here you are Mr Holmes, a gallery of the good and bad of my
family. May I ask, what, or who, you are looking for?
HOLMES: Someone you and Watson might recognise.
WATSON: Us?
HOLMES: Yes. Please, both of you, look carefully at the portraits.
They mime looking at portraits.
Eine zweite Einschätzung…, … würde mir den wichtigsten Hinweis geben, den ich noch brauche.
… mit Gemälden von Sir Henrys Vorfahren
… es war frustrierend, wie er einen auf die Folter spannte, bis er sich sicher war.
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SIR HENRY: What are we supposed to be looking for?
HOLMES: I think you’ll know it when you see it.
They move to the portrait of Hugo.
SIR HENRY: (As if reading a title) Hugo Baskerville. Well, what do you
know1… it’s the guy who started all that curse nonsense!
WATSON: (Realising something) Good Lord! I don’t believe it!
SIR HENRY: Nope. It’s true. It says so here.
WATSON: But… the portrait… it looks like… it looks like…
HOLMES: Who, Watson, who?
WATSON: It looks like… Stapleton!
SIR HENRY: (Looking closer) Well, I’ll be damned2… you’re right… it DOES
look like Stapleton!
HOLMES: Thank you, gentlemen. I think I you have given me the last piece of
my puzzle.
WATSON: What a coincidence… Stapleton looking like a Baskerville!
HOLMES: Oh, much more than a coincidence, my dear Watson. He IS a
Baskerville! (Pause) Now, gentlemen, I have some serious matters to
communicate. (To the portrait) Thank you. You can go!
Exit Hugo’s portrait.
SIR HENRY: Wow, Mr Holmes… this is all so surreal!
HOLMES: While in London, I took the opportunity3 to do some research into
your family, Sir Henry. Your uncle, Sir Charles, had a brother?
SIR HENRY: Yes, Rodger… an adventurer. He died in South America of a
tropical disease.
HOLMES: That’s right. And with his death and the death of your father, your
uncle inherited the family fortune and Baskerville Hall. After Sir Charles’s
death… the next in line was you.
SIR HENRY: Of course.
HOLMES: The line of inheritance seemed simple… so no one dug deeper into
it4. But I did! (Pause) Before he died, Rodger Baskerville had a son… an
illegitimate son5… he never married the boy’s mother. The boy grew up in
Costa Rica and turned to a life of crime. Digging into his father’s past, he
learnt of the Baskerville fortune… and his rightful claim to it. But two people
stood in his way… Sir Charles…
SIR HENRY: And me.
HOLMES: Precisely! He came to England, with his wife. She knew everything.
Her name was… Beryl.
SIR HENRY: Oh, no… don’t tell me…
1 1
Na, da schau her… (sieh mal einer an)
2 2
Ich glaub’s nicht… (gehob. umgangsspr., vgl.bist du deppert)
3 3
… ich habe die Gelegenheit genutzt, um…
4 4
Die Erbfolge schien klar, deshalb hat niemand gründlich nachgeforscht.
5 5
… einen unehelichen Sohn…
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HOLMES: They changed their names and became brother and sister… Jack and
Beryl Stapleton.
SIR HENRY: Oh, no!
WATSON: I’ll be damned!
HOLMES: Conveniently, Merripit House was being sold. Jack bought it. But
how to get rid of Sir Charles and you, without suspicion falling on him1,
before, surprisingly, revealing who he really was? Of course, he learned
about the stories of the hound and the curse. (Pause) Now, even I, who have
been exposed to some of the greatest criminal minds, have to admire his
ingenious plan!
WATSON: Get a hound… train it to be a vicious killer, at the scent of its victim.
Then, all he would need is an article of his victim’s clothing.
SIR HENRY: So, it was Stapleton who was following me in London… and stole
my shoe. And the letter?
HOLMES: No doubt sent by Beryl. (Pause) I believe there is some good in her,
Sir Henry. She is just very afraid of her husband. She tried, by the sound of it,
to get you to leave… using the curse of the hound as her way of doing so.
SIR HENRY: Oh, poor Beryl!
WATSON: So, what now, Holmes?
HOLMES: All I have told you is the puzzle I have pieced together. Stapleton still
has the upper hand, though.
WATSON: What do you mean?
HOLMES: We have no proof that he is committing any crime.
SIR HENRY: So, how do we get this son-of-a-bitch2?
HOLMES: Set a trap! (Pause) I’ve given this careful thought. (Pause) Sir Henry,
would you be willing to be used as bait3?
SIR HENRY: If it means getting this bastard… you bet!
WATSON: What do you propose, Holmes?
HOLMES: Let us create a little situation that Stapleton is sure to fall for4.
(Pointedly) Tomorrow, Sir Henry, visit the Stapleton’s. Use your charm and
get a dinner invitation from them. Say… you are not worried about the night
and the hound. There’s a full moon… you’ll ride your horse over. (Almost
playfully) Chances are5, something might happen to your horse… resulting in
which… you will have to walk home.
SIR HENRY: So, that’s the bait!
WATSON: And you and me, Holmes…
HOLMES: We will keep a close eye on Sir Henry… and we will both be armed!
… ohne den Verdacht auf sich zu lenken…
Mistkerl (siehe auch: bastard)
… dürften wir Sie als Köder benutzen?
Wir werden eine Situation erzeugen, auf die Stapleton sicher reinfällt.
Höchstwahrscheinlich (in aller Wahrscheinlichkeit)…
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 So, gentlemen, I suggest that we get some sleep. We need all our wits about
us to catch a rat and his hound!
Exit SIR HENRY and HOLMES.
Scene 9
WATSON: Sleep… sleep… did he say? Goodness me, when I got into bed, my
mind was buzzing1! Holmes always seems so cool about such things!
Nevertheless, the next day, his plan was put into motion. Early, Sir Henry
walked over to the Stapleton’s… to inform them about what had happened to
Selden. Sometime, later, Sir Henry returned, excitedly, to say…
Enter HOLMES and SIR HENRY.
SIR HENRY: There was a clear look of surprise on Stapleton’s face when he saw
me. He didn’t seem to be particularly happy that the hound had disposed of
Selden2. Beryl was upset, though – possibly through relief that it wasn’t me.
She left the room, in tears. (Excitedly) Then, guess what?
HOLMES: What?
SIR HENRY: Stapleton invited me over for dinner.
HOLMES: Excellent! He’s taken the bait!
WATSON: Let’s hope for the proof we need to get him, before the hound gets
his teeth into you, Sir Henry.
HOLMES: Right, gentlemen… let’s prepare ourselves for what is to come.
Exit HOLMES and SIR HENRY.
WATSON: A day full of anticipation3 for the night to come! Before nightfall,
Holmes and I checked our guns and off we went, on foot, to the Stapleton’s.
Enter HOLMES. He moves to WATSON. They move to one side of the stage.
HOLMES: Right, Watson, we have a good view of the house and stable. Let’s lie
low and observe4. Sir Henry should be here soon.
They both crouch down. Enter SIR HENRY, miming riding a horse. He mimes
getting off. Enter STAPLETON.
STAPLETON: (Shaking hands with SIR HENRY) Sir Henry… good evening.
SIR HENRY: Good evening, Jack.
STAPLETON: I’m sorry to say that Beryl won’t be joining us. She’s not feeling
at all well. She has decided to sleep it off.
SIR HENRY: I’m sorry to hear that.
STAPLETON: Please go along in. I’ll just make sure that your horse is alright in
the stable. I’ll be with you in a moment.
1
… mir schwirrte der Kopf.
2 1
Er schien nicht sehr glücklich darüber, dass der Bluthund Selden aus dem Weg geschafft hatte
3 2
… in Erwartung…
4 3
Verstecken wir uns hier und passen auf.
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32
SIR HENRY: Thank you.
He exits. STAPLETON mimes taking the reins of the horse.
STAPLETON: Come along, you… Jack will take care of you. No more riding
tonight!
He makes the sound of a horse neighing and exits.
WATSON: Goodness me, Holmes… just like you said… he plans to do
something to the horse, so Sir Henry can’t ride him.
HOLMES: Precisely, Watson. And no Beryl around to warn Sir Henry… how
convenient!
WATSON: He surely wouldn’t harm her.
HOLMES: I shouldn’t think so. She’s probably well locked away, somewhere in
the house.
WATSON: Now what?
HOLMES: We play the waiting game, Watson.
WATSON: And so we played the waiting game... for nearly 2 hours.
HOLMES: Dinner should be over by now. Something worries me, though, Watson.
WATSON: What is it, Holmes?
HOLMES: Look towards the moor. There is a fog coming in. Sir Henry better
leave soon1.
Enter SIR HENRY and STAPLETON. STAPLETON is carrying a small bag.
HOLMES and WATSON crouch down again.
STAPLETON: Sir Henry, your horse was perfectly alright when I took him to
the stable. Perhaps he got a stone in his hoof, when you rode over. You
certainly can’t ride him back now. Why don’t you stay the night?
SIR HENRY: It’s really no problem. I can see my way back ok.
STAPLETON: And the hound?
SIR HENRY: I’ve faced up to bears in Canada. To hell with the hound2!
STAPLETON: Goodnight, then.
SIR HENRY: Goodnight. I hope Beryl feels better in the morning.
SIR HENRY exits and, after a moment, STAPLETON opens the bag and takes
out a shoe.
STAPLETON: Now, my baby… tonight we WILL triumph!
He lets out an evil laugh and exits.
HOLMES: Come along, Watson … we must follow Sir Henry. We can’t let him
out of our sight.
HOLMES exits the same way as SIR HENRY.
WATSON: We followed. But, the fog closed in quicker than we thought3. Sir
Henry started running. As did we! We lost the path… and Sir Henry! We
were on the moor, for sure. This was dangerous now.
Sir Henry sollte sich besser bald auf den Weg machen.
In Kanada bin ich Bären gegenüber gestanden. Zum Teufel mit dem Bluthund.
Der Nebel fiel schneller ein, als wir gedacht hatten.
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33
The next bit of action is played out to dramatic music. Enter HOLMES, holding
his gun.
HOLMES: (Calling) Watson!
WATSON: Over here, Holmes.
HOLMES: Stay close! Any sight of Sir Henry?
WATSON: No.
They move as if moving through fog.
HOLMES: Damn it… I didn’t prepare for this, Watson… not at all!
Suddenly, above the music, there is the sound of a loud howl from the hound.
WATSON: It’s here, Holmes… the hound of the Baskervilles!
Dramatic music. Enter SIR HENRY, from upstage.
HOLMES: (Pointing at SIR HENRY) Look, Watson… there’s Sir Henry!
Out of the music comes a loud growl. SIR HENRY turns. From upstage, the
hound jumps on SIR HENRY. He screams. The hound and SIR HENRY fight. Out
of their struggle come sounds of growls and SIR HENRY’s screams. The hound
gets SIR HENRY on the ground and goes for his throat. HOLMES takes aim with
his gun and fires 6 times at the hound. The hound falls off SIR HENRY… dead.
The music stops. SIR HENRY moans. WATSON rushes up to him.
HOLMES: How is he, Watson?
WATSON: Just wounded… but alright… thank goodness. And the hound?
HOLMES: Definitely dead!
Enter STAPLETON, holding a gun.
STAPLETON: As you all soon will be too, Mr Holmes! (Pause) Sherlock
Holmes finally defeated1! And there’ll be no Dr Watson either to write the
case of ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’. What a pity. Perhaps I will write it.
It should be worth quite a lot of money.
HOLMES: You won’t get away with this, Stapleton.
STAPLETON: Oh, but I will, Mr Holmes… I will. Your gun is now useless. You
used up all your bullets on my poor baby. Dr Watson, I’m sure you are carrying
a gun. Will you be so kind as to take it out… slowly… and push it over here.
WATSON does so.
SIR HENRY: (Weakly) Beryl…
STAPLETON: She is safely locked away. I feared she might have spoilt my
party tonight2.
SIR HENRY: (Weakly) Beryl…
STAPLETON: (Angrily) Shut up… cousin! (Pause) So, now… how to end our
story? Well, as it happens, luck is on my side. You see, gentlemen, (pointing)
just over there is the start of Grimpen Mire. I will kill all of you and drag
your bodies to the Mire. You will be swallowed up… deep into its muddy
darkness… never to be seen again. Along with my and Dr Waston’s guns.
1 4
Sherlock Holmes – endlich besiegt (geschlagen)
2 5
Sie hätte mir wahrscheinlich meinen Plan zunichte gemacht.
32
34
That leaves your empty gun, Mr Holmes. Six bullets in my poor baby and me
with an empty gun. Now, here’s the fun part of the story… what I tell the
police. (Pause) I heard the screams… ran, with my gun, to help… saw you
fighting the hound, by the Mire. It was terrible! The three of you fell into the
Mire and when the hound turned on me… I shot it. Naturally, everyone will
be upset about you. But I… I will be hailed as a hero1… the one who killed
the hound of the Baskervilles.
HOLMES: You are mad, Stapleton!
STAPLETON: Yes, yes… go ahead call me anything you like. But I beat you,
Sherlock Holmes… (Pointedly) I beat you! I defeated the great Sherlock
Holmes. (He laughs) That will be my own private glory! Along with
inheriting the Baskerville fortune, of course.
HOLMES: You sad, sad, little man!
STAPLETON: (Moving closer to HOLMES, angrily) Shut up… just shut up!
You’ve met your match2, Mr Holmes.
HOLMES: That’s right, Stapleton… pump yourself up! You’re pathetic3!
STAPLETON: (Shouting) I said shut up!
HOLMES lunges at STAPLETON. They fight furiously. STAPLETON loses the
gun. WATSON goes for his gun. Before he can get to it, HOLMES pushes
STAPLETON. He falls backward into the Mire. He starts sinking.
STAPLETON: (Screaming) Help me! Help me! I’m sinking into the Mire!
HOLMES takes off his coat, as STAPLETON sinks deeper. He holds one end of
the coat and throws the rest of it at STAPLETON.
HOLMES: Grab hold of this! Come on, man!
STAPLETON tries to hold onto the coat. But the Mire is pulling him in deeper.
He grasps the coat, screaming. HOLMES can’t help him. The last scream
disappears into a gurgle, as STAPLETON disappears into the mud.
HOLMES: Well, Watson, you will have an exciting case to write about!
SIR HENRY: (Weakly) Beryl…
HOLMES: I’m sure she’s alright. (Looking around) The fog is easing4. Let us get
back to Baskerville Hall.
WATSON and HOLMES help SIR HENRY up.
WATSON: Holmes, how will we find our way back?
HOLMES: Elementary, my dear Watson… with this. (He takes a compass out of
his pocket.)
WATSON: A compass… I should have known. Holmes, you think of everything.
HOLMES: I wouldn’t be who I am, if I didn’t, Watson. I took a reading5, before
we set out this evening. We know where the Grimpen Mire is. (Looking at the
1
Ich werde als Held gefeiert werden.
2
Sie haben in mir Ihren Meister gefunden… (d.h. ich bin besser als Sie)
3
Ja, bilden Sie sich nur was ein… Sie sind wirklich armselig!
Der Nebel lichtet sich.
Ich habe den Kompass abgelesen…
33
35
 compass) Now, with that behind us, we go... (Pointing) this way. Comprehension Quickcheck
SIRcompass)
HENRY:Now, with
I don’t knowthathow
behind us, we
to thank you, Mr(Pointing)
go... this way.
Holmes. You truly live up to
SIRyour
HENRY: I don’t
1 know how to thank you, Mr Holmes. You truly live up to
reputation1 as the world’s greatest detective. Scene 1
your reputation
HOLMES: Thank you, as the
Sir world’s greatest
Henry. But, detective.
as usual, I think I couldn’t have solved • Who is the main character in the play? What is he famous for? When did he live?
HOLMES:
this case,Thank you,
without theSirhelp
Henry.
of my But, as usual,
good friend Iandthink I couldn’t
colleague, Drhave solved
Watson. • Who is Dr Watson? Why is he important?
this case,Kind
WATSON: without
of youthe tohelp
sayofso,my good friend and colleague, Dr Watson.
Holmes. • What is the storyline of the play based on?
WATSON: Not
HOLMES: Kindatofall,you to say so,not
Watson… Holmes.
at all. (Pause) Fancy the opera22, next week?
HOLMES: Not at all, Watson… (Pause)Garden?
Fancy the opera , next week? • Have you come across Sherlock Holmes before? Read any Sherlock Holmes
Dinner at Marcini’s and then not at all.
a box at Covent (short)stories? Perhaps seen film versions? If yes, which?
Dinner atCapital
WATSON: Marcini’s
ideaand
3
, then a box
Holmes. I at Covent
must get in Garden?
touch with The Strand Magazine,
WATSON: 3 • Web research:
when weCapital
get backidea , Holmes.Tell
to London. I must
them getI’ve
in touch with Sherlock
got a new The Strand Magazine,
Holmes
when we get back to London. Tell them I’ve got a new Sherlock Holmes Who is the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories? When and where did he
story for them… ‘The Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles’.
story for them… ‘The Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles’. live? Find the titles of at least three more stories about the great detective.
Dramatic music.
Dramatic
WATSON:music.(Referring to the music) Thank you!
WATSON: (Referring to the music) Thank you! Scene 2
They exit. • Web research:
They exit. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson shared a flat. Find it on a map of London.
• Who is Dr Mortimer? What does he need a detective for?
The End. • Why does he not believe that Sir Charles died from a heart attack?
The End. • What does the manuscript tell us about the Baskerville family?
• Who is next in line to inherit the family fortune? Where did he grow up?
• What does Sherlock Holmes think about the curse?

Scene 3
• What happened since Sir Henry arrived in London? Why is he worried?
• Sherlock Holmes asks Dr Watson to accompany Sir Henry. What does he
want him to do?
• Web research:
Which part of the UK are Sir Henry and Dr Watson headed for? What is
interesting about the area?
• Why is Sherlock Holmes staying in London?

Scene 4
• Web research:
1. Find and check current train timetables.
How long, approximately, does the train journey from …………………….…
Station in London to ………………….…… in …………… take?
2. In the early 20th century, the journey
1 ! took much longer
… Sie werden Ihrem Ruf (als der beste Detektiv der Welt) gerecht…
12
…
WieSie werden
wäre Ihrem
es mit Ruf
einem (als der beste
Opernbesuch Detektiv
nächste der Welt)
Woche? gerecht…
…, dann eine Loge in Covent Garden? ! took about the same time
23
Spitzenidee…
Wie wäre es mit einem Opernbesuch nächste Woche? …, dann eine Loge in Covent Garden? ! was very slow
3
Spitzenidee…
34 35
34
36 37
 • Who are the Barrymores? Where do they live?
• Who else knows about Sir Henry being in England now?
• Why are they stopped by a policeman on their way to Baskerville Hall?
• Why is it dangerous to be outside when it’s getting dark?
• How does Sir Henry feel about Baskerville Hall?
Scene 5
• Dr Watson thinks the old building is gloomy. What happens during the night?
How do the Barrymores explain the goings-on?
• Why is Dr Watson so sure Mrs Barrymore was lying?
• Taking a walk on the moor, Dr Watson meets Jack Stapleton. What is he doing?
• What does Beryl want Sir Henry to do? What is she telling Dr Watson?
• Web research:
Find information on Grimpen Mire. Does it really exist? Where is it?
Scene 6
• Does Dr Watson manage to get a good night’s sleep? What happens?
• What do Sir Henry and Dr Watson find out the following night? How are the
Barrymores and the escaped convict, Selden, connected?
• Web research:
Find out if Selden really existed or if he is a fictional character.
Scene 7
• The day after, Sir Henry and Dr Watson are having lunch at the Stapleton’s
house. Where is it?
• Sir Henry is quite taken by Beryl. How does Jack Stapleton feel about this?
• Dr Watson discovers a hooded figure on the moor. Who is it?
• What did Sherlock Holmes find out while he was in London? Who is the next
victim?
• They hear a loud howl and a man screaming. Then they find a dead body.
Who is it? What is the dead man wearing? Why?
• Sherlock Holmes wants to get back to Baskerville Hall quickly. Why?
Scene 8
• Sherlock Holmes reports to Sir Henry what he has found out so far. He needs
one more clue. What is it?
• Who does Jack Stapleton look like? Who is his father?
• Where did he grow up and what did he come to England for?
• Why did Jack get rid of Sir Charles and is now trying to kill Sir Henry?
36
38
• Who stole Sir Henry’s shoe in London?
• Who wrote the letter? Why?
• How is Sherlock Holmes going to expose Jack Stapleton?
• Web research:
How are dogs trained to pick up scents? Why is this so important?
Scene 9
• Why was Jack Stapleton surprised to see Sir Henry? What does he do?
• Where are Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson hiding?
• Beryl is not around for dinner. Why?
• Who is Jack Stapleton calling ‘baby’?
• It’s getting dark and foggy when Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson follow Sir
Henry. What happens next? Who shoots the dog when it attacks Sir Henry?
• Why is Stapleton so pleased with himself?
• How is he planning to ‘end the story’?
• Sherlock Holmes and Stapleton fight. What happens to Stapleton?
• Why, do you think, is Sherlock Holmes trying to rescue Stapleton by
throwing his coat for him to hold on to?
• How do they find their way back to Baskerville Hall?
• Back in London, what is Dr Watson planning to do?
Did you like the play? Choose a statement below and say why.
! yes, it was funny ! I knew the story already ! it was quite thrilling
! not really, no ! I don’t really care ! it was OK, I guess
Which of the characters did you like best? Why?
Were there any characters you didn’t like? Who? Why?
Do you generally like detective stories? Why?
If you didn’t know Sherlock Holmes before: having seen this play, would you like
to read another Sherlock Holmes story or watch a film version? Why/why not?
As the action in the play unfolded, was there any point where you were sure who
the guilty person was? What were the clues? How did you know?
37
39
 1966 MAN OF DESTINY by George Bernard Shaw
1966 1967
MAN OFTHE HAPPY
DESTINY JOURNEY
by George Bernard Shawby Thornton Wilder 1996/97 CRUSOE by Nicholas Allen, based on the novel by Daniel Defoe
1967 1968
THE HAPPYVILLAGE
JOURNEY WOOING
by Thornton byWilder
George Bernard Shaw LOVE HURTS by Sean Aita
1968 1970
VILLAGE THE IMPORTANCE
WOOING by George Bernard OF BEING
Shaw EARNEST by Oscar WildeTHE GLASS MENAGERIE by Tennessee Williams
1970 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde 1997/98 HUCKLEBERRY FINN by Sean Aita
1971
1971 THE GLASS MENAGERIE
THE GLASS MENAGERIE by Tennessee Williams
by Tennessee Williams
SUGAR AND SPICE by Philip Dart
1972 1972
MAN OF MAN OF DESTINY
DESTINY by George Bernardby George
Shaw Bernard Shaw ALL MY SONS by Arthur Miller
1973 1973
LOVERSLOVERS by Brian Friel
by Brian Friel 1998/99 THE SWORD AND THE CROWN by Sean Aita
1973 AN INSPECTOR
1973 CALLS by J. CALLS
AN INSPECTOR B. Priestleyby J. B. Priestley BOTTLING OUT by Philip Dart
1974 THE HAPPY JOURNEY by Thornton Wilder BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE by Leonard Gershe
1975 1974
OF LOVERSTHEAND HAPPY FOOLS, JOURNEY by Thornton Wilder 1999/00 BANANAS by Sean Aita and Nicholas Allen
1975 OF Shakespeare
scenes from LOVERSasAND FOOLS,
arranged by Manfredscenes
Vogelfrom Shakespeare as arranged
DANCE byCLASS
Manfred Vogel
by Clive Duncan
1976 1976
A SLIGHTA SLIGHT
ACCIDENTACCIDENT
by James Saunders by James Saunders THE BROWNING VERSION by Terence Rattigan
LOOK BACK IN ANGER by John Osborne 2000/01 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS by Sean Aita
1977
LOOK BACK IN ANGER by John Osborne
THE HAPPY JOURNEY by Thornton Wilder MILLENNIUM by Sean Aita
1977
ARMS AND THETHE HAPPY
MAN byJOURNEY
George Bernard byShaw
Thornton Wilder BLUE GIRL by Deborah Aita
1978 FAMILYARMS ALBUMAND THE
by David MAN by George Bernard Shaw
Newby 2001/02 HOTMAIL FROM HELSINKI by Judy Upton
AN INSPECTOR
1978 FAMILY CALLS
ALBUM by J. B.byPriestley
David Newby ROMY AND JULIAN by Clive Duncan
1979 THE CANTERVILLE GHOST THE LAST YANKEE by Arthur Miller
ANAllen,
by Nicholas INSPECTOR
based on the CALLS by J.
story by Oscar B. Priestley
Wilde 2002/03 A PERFECT MATCH by Sean Aita
1979
ALL MY THESONS CANTERVILLE
by Arthur Miller GHOST by Nicholas Allen, based on the story by
A DOG’S LIFEOscar Wilde
by Sean Aita
1980 THE HAPPYALLJOURNEY
MY SONS by Arthur
by Thornton WilderMiller DANGEROUS OBSESSION by N.J Crisp
MAN OF DESTINY by George Bernard Shaw 2003/04 STREETS OF LONDON by Sean Aita
1981
1980 THE HAPPY JOURNEY by Thornton Wilder
FAMILY ALBUM by David Newby WILD WEEKEND by Clive Duncan
MAN SPEAKING
RELATIVELY OF DESTINY by Alanby George Bernard Shaw
Ayckbourn BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE by Leonard Gershe
1982 1981 FAMILY ALBUM
THE CANTERVILLE GHOST by David Newby 2004/05 THE CANTERVILLE GHOST
by Nicholas Allen, based on the
RELATIVELY story by Oscarby
SPEAKING Wilde
Alan Ayckbourn adapted from Oscar Wilde by Clive Duncan
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS by Robert Bolt SUGAR AND SPICE by Philip Dart
1983 1982
ROBIN THE
HOODCANTERVILLE
by Nicholas Allen. AnGHOST by with
entertainment Nicholas
music Allen, based on the story by Oscar Wilde
MACBETH adapted from Shakespeare by Clive Duncan
LOVERS AbyMAN FOR ALL SEASONS by Robert Bolt
Brian Friel 2005/06 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS by Sean Aita
1984 1983 ROBIN
THE HAPPY HOOD
JOURNEY by by Nicholas
Thornton WilderAllen. An entertainment with music ROMY & JULIAN by Clive Duncan
1984/85 KING ARTHUR by Nicholas Allen. An entertainment with music THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
LOVERS by Brian Friel
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde a Woody Guthrie Folk Musicale devised by David M. Lutken
1984
1985/86 THE HAPPY
THE CANTERVILLE JOURNEY by Thornton Wilder
GHOST 2006/07 REVOLTING BRITONS by Clive Duncan
1984/85 KING
by Nicholas ARTHUR
Allen, based on the bystory
Nicholas
by OscarAllen.
Wilde An entertainment with music DANCE CLASS by Clive Duncan
THE GLASSTHEMENAGERIE
IMPORTANCE by Tennessee WilliamsEARNEST by Oscar WildeLOOK BACK IN ANGER by John Osborne
OF BEING
1986/87 SONGS AND DREAMS by Nicholas Allen 2007/08 VIRTUAL HEROES by Clive Duncan
1985/86 THE NEXT
SAME TIME, CANTERVILLE
YEAR by Bernard GHOST
Slade by Nicholas Allen, based on the story by Oscar Wilde
WILD WEEKEND by Clive Duncan
THE GLASSAND
1987/88 DICK WHITTINGTON MENAGERIE
HIS CAT by Sean by Aita
Tennessee Williams PITCH BLACK by Clive Duncan
1986/87 SONGS
LOOK BACK AND DREAMS
IN ANGER by John Osborne by Nicholas Allen 2008/09 PERFECT MATCH by Sean Aita
1988/89 THE WIDOW'S DIAMONDS by Nicholas Allen LITTLE GIRL LIES by Claudia Leaf
SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR by Bernard Slade
THE PRIVATE EAR by Peter Schaffer VIRGINS by John Retallack
1987/88
1989/90 ROBIN DICK
HOOD by WHITTINGTON AND HIS with
Nicholas Allen. An entertainment CAT by Sean Aita 2009/10 FAME GAME by Philip Dart
music
IN PRAISELOOK BACK
OF LOVE IN ANGER
by Terence Rattiganby John Osborne SACRIFICE by Claudia Leaf
1990/91 THE HAPPY
1988/89 THEJOURNEY
WIDOW'S by Thornton
DIAMONDS Wilder by Nicholas Allen MACBETH by William Shakespeare adapted by Clive Duncan
DANGEROUS OBSESSION by N. F. Crisp 2010/11 ROB AND THE HOODIES by Sean Aita
THE PRIVATE EAR by Peter Schaffer
1991/92 RICHARD THE LIONHEART by Nicholas Allen ROMY & JULIAN by Clive Duncan
1989/90 ROBIN OF
THE FOUNTAIN HOOD YOUTH bybyNicholas
Sean Aita Allen. An entertainment with music BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE by Leonard Gershe
THE ZOO INSTORY
PRAISE OF LOVE
by Edward Albee by Terence Rattigan 2011/12 THE SWITCH by Philip Dart
1992/93 SONGS THE
1990/91 AND DREAMS
HAPPYbyJOURNEY Nicholas Allen by Thornton Wilder DISCONNECTED by Adam Barnard
STAGE BY STAGE by Jennie Graham PITCH BLACK by Clive Duncan
I OUGHT DANGEROUS
TO BE IN PICTURES OBSESSION
by Neil Simon by N. F. Crisp 2012/13 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS by Sean Aita
1991/92
1993/94 TREASURERICHARD
ISLAND by THE SeanLIONHEART
Aita by Nicholas Allen JEKYLL’S POTION by James Cawood
SHERLOCK THEHOLMES
FOUNTAIN INVESTIGATES
OF YOUTH by Ingrid
by Statman
Sean Aita A PICTURE by Clive Duncan
RELATIVELY SPEAKING by Alan Ayckbourn 2013/14 VIRTUAL HEROES by Clive Duncan
THE ZOO STORY
1994/95 FAMILY ALBUM by David Newby
by Edward Albee POPULAR by Philip Dart
1992/93
FREDDY SONGS
AND THE ANDCLOVENDREAMS HOOF by byAdam
Nicholas
BridgesAllen PRETTY SHREWD by Clive Duncan
LOVERS STAGE BY STAGE by Jennie Graham
by Brian Friel 2014/15 SPOOKED! by Sean Aita
1995/96 THE CANTERVILLE GHOST by Nicholas
I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES by Neil Simon Allen DANCE CLASS by Clive Duncan
DRACULA by Sean Aita THE MAKEOVER by Clive Duncan
1993/94 TREASURE
MY CHILDREN! ISLAND
MY AFRICA! by Sean
by Athol FugardAita 2015/16 THE FAME GAME by Philip Dart
SHERLOCK HOLMES INVESTIGATES by Ingrid Statman UNDERCOVER STAR by Robin Kingsland
RELATIVELY SPEAKING by Alan Ayckbourn VIRGINS by John Retallack
1994/95 FAMILY ALBUM by David Newby
FREDDY AND THE CLOVEN HOOF by Adam Bridges
LOVERS by Brian Friel
1995/96 THE CANTERVILLE GHOST by Nicholas Allen
DRACULA by Sean Aita
MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA! by Athol Fugard
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